Public hanging

Fort Lauderdale's Bahia Mar was the setting of the county's first and last legal hanging in 1929, according to "The Book Lover's Guide to Florida." James Horace Alderman was executed for killing two Coast Guardsmen and a Secret Service agent.

Fort Lauderdale's Bahia Mar was the setting of the county's first and last legal hanging in 1929, according to "The Book Lover's Guide to Florida." James Horace Alderman was executed for killing two Coast Guardsmen and a Secret Service agent. (File photo)

Fort Lauderdale's Bahia Mar was the setting of the county's first and last legal hanging in 1929, according to "The Book Lover's Guide to Florida." James Horace Alderman was executed for killing two Coast Guardsmen and a Secret Service agent.File photo